Madelyn “Maddie” Katz, who attended UCLA and was a generous supporter of the school, died on March 1 after a lengthy battle with pancreatic cancer. She was 73.
“Maddie was just a gem of a human being: caring, compassionate, thoughtful, always thinking about how other people are doing ““ just a truly kind-hearted soul,” said Amir Dan Rubin, the chief operating officer for the UCLA Medical and Hospital system.
Katz was born Madelyn Rae Guttelman on Dec. 2, 1935, in Sioux City, Iowa. She and her husband, Ronald “Ron” Katz, both attended UCLA. A friend said the Katzes were role models of a good marriage.
“She’s madly in love with her husband. They seem like they’re still dating, even though they’ve been married for 52 years,” said Dr. David Feinberg, the associate vice chancellor and chief executive officer of the UCLA Hospital System. “They were a real team, and that was just incredible to witness.”
The couple met at Los Angeles High School, lost touch, and then “met again at UCLA and married shortly thereafter,” said her husband.
The Katzes were very philanthropically involved with their alma mater, donating to a variety of causes. They established the Katz Family Foundation, a charitable organization meant to help cover medical costs for wounded soldiers. In 2008, they also donated $1 million to establish the Mickey Katz Endowed Chair in Jewish Music in the new Herb Alpert School of Music at UCLA in honor of Ron Katz’s late father. In addition, they established the Ronald L. Katz, M.D. Endowed Chair in Anesthesiology.
Ron Katz is currently a UCLA Medical Center board member and is the inventor of the automatic credit verification system. Maddie Katz was the president of the UCLA Medical Auxiliary from 1996-1999 and served on the board of Women & Philanthropy at UCLA and the UCLA Foundation Board of Governors.
“They just loved the institution, and they gave of themselves, both in terms of time and of their personal resources,” said Dr. Gerald S. Levey, the vice chancellor of UCLA Medical Sciences and dean of the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.
In 2007, the Katzes helped establish Project Mend, a collaboration between the UCLA Medical Center, the Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas, and the Katz Family Foundation. In October of 2007, Operation Mend paid for reconstructive surgery for U.S. Marine Cpl. Aaron P. Mankin. Since then, Levey estimates Project Mend has helped 10 to 20 more soldiers receive urgent reconstructive surgery.
But Project Mend isn’t just about the medical care. Feinberg said Maddie Katz made sure that “not only did these soldiers come for reconstructive surgery, but (that) their families would be brought out during the course of the treatment. Every soldier and his family is treated like they’re rock stars.”
Katz ensured that every soldier’s family had a “buddy family” to host them while the treatment was going on. Most of the patients had to endure a number of separate operations, but because of Katz’s work, they were able to be with their families while they recovered.
“She treated them like they were her kids, and she’s a great mom. So not only did we provide technical service to these patients, she gave them love,” Feinberg said.
The Katzes were also involved with the construction of the UCLA Medical Center. Just like with Operation Mend, Levey said Maddie Katz made a special effort to take care of the families of people receiving treatment at the hospital.
“Maddie and her husband donated $1 million to establish what’s now called “˜Maddie’s Room.’ It’s just a wonderful area for family and friends to wait for the results of surgery on their loved one,” Levey said. “This was a wonderful donation to the hospital.”
In the old hospital, families had to wait in the regular lobby while their relative underwent surgery. Now, in Maddie’s Room, anxious family members wait in a comfortable, private space. There are also separate rooms where doctors can speak with the family.
“Maddie was always concerned about the lack of appropriate facilities for families who are waiting for the results of the surgery being performed on their loved ones,” Levey said.
After she began treatment for pancreatic cancer, Maddie Katz maintained her positive attitude, and she developed a taste for a UCLA staple: In-N-Out Burger.
“I had to go to In-N-Out a couple times a week to get her her burger fix,” Ron Katz said.
Even after being in pain or getting bad news from a doctor, Maddie Katz stayed upbeat.
“She always had a positive stand: “˜Tomorrow will be better,'” Feinberg said.
Levey said he thinks Katz will be remembered most for her generosity, courage and inspiration.
“I think all of us feel that the Katzes enabled us to do something that will have positive repercussions all across the country,” Levey said.
Maddie Katz is survived by her husband, Ron; her two sons, Randall and Todd; daughters-in-law, Kathy and Dana; four grandchildren, two step-grandchildren; her sister, Helen Sinderman; and her brother-in-law, actor Joel Grey.
A special celebration of Maddie Katz’s life is scheduled for March 16 at 7:30 p.m. at the Stephen S. Wise Temple, 15500 Stephen S. Wise Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90077.
In lieu of flowers, the Katz family requests that donations be made to the UCLA Hospital System Maddie Katz Fund for Operation Mend. Please make checks payable to The UCLA Foundation, include “Maddie Katz Fund” in the memo section, and send to: Director of Development, UCLA Hospital System, 10945 Le Conte Ave., Suite 3132, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1784.